Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Henkel Lady In Dress West Hoboken NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.D. Benton Gorgeous Lady In Dress Waterbury CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stevenson Cute Baby In Gown El Dorado Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Poisson Gorgeous Lady In Dress Westbrook ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Zimmerman Gorgeous Lady In Dress York PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schiefer Young Girl in Dress Rochester NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Voigt Young Handsome Man In Suit Milwaukee
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Holdmann Young Man In Suit Milwaukee
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s N. Walzl Handsome Man with Mustache Baltimore
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Heising Teenage Boys in Suits Chicago IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jules E. Lecocq Cute Baby In Gown Port Chester NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Reed Young Lady In Dress Clinton IA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Gorgeous Lady In Velvet Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Reed Cute Baby In Dress Clinton IA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P. Krüger Family Studio Karlovy Vary
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Reed Young Handsome Man In Suit Clinton Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bailey Rosenfield Gorgeous Lady Rochester NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Green Cute Baby In Gown Braddock PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Nyser Cute Girl Holding Hat Hartford CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Burfield Family with Children Norwood Minn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Opsahl Husband and Wife Minneapolis
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hendricks & Co Cute Baby Allegheny City PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bailey Husband Wife Romantic Couple Ashland WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gates Lady In Dress Addison NY
Cabinet cards are larger albumen photographs mounted on thicker, often decorated card stock. First offered in London in 1863 and reaching American studios by 1866, they were dominant from the 1880s through the early 1900s — the ‘Golden Age’ of the cabinet card runs roughly 1870 to 1895 — and continued in declining numbers into the 1920s.
HistoryOrigin & era
Cabinet cards offered the same albumen process as CDVs but at a size more flattering to detailed studio work. By the 1880s mounts grew elaborate — gold edges, embossed studio logos, chromolithographed backs. The format faded sharply after Eastman Kodak's 1900 Brownie put cameras in everyone's hands; few cabinet cards date after 1906, and the last were produced in the early 1920s.
IdentificationHow to spot a Cabinet Card
- Mount roughly 4¼ × 6½ inches.
- Heavier card stock than a CDV, often with rounded corners and gold or beveled edges.
- Photographer's imprint usually on the front below the photo, with elaborate logos on the back.
- Plain pale mounts are earlier (1870s); dark green, black, and gilt mounts are 1880s–1890s.
Cabinet Card sizes
Standard cabinet cards are remarkably consistent, but several larger "deluxe" formats were sold by the same studios.
| Format | Inches | Millimeters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard cabinet card | 4¼ × 6½ in | 108 × 165 mm | Universal mount size. |
| Cabinet print on mount | ≈ 3¾ × 5½ in | ≈ 95 × 140 mm | Photo trimmed to fit with a narrow border. |
| Promenade | 4 × 7 in | 102 × 178 mm | Taller variant, popular 1875–1900. |
| Boudoir | 5¼ × 8½ in | 133 × 216 mm | Larger format for full-length portraits. |
| Imperial | 6⅞ × 9⅞ in | 175 × 251 mm | Largest of the cabinet-family mounts. |
| Panel | 4 × 8 in | 102 × 203 mm | Narrow, full-length portrait format. |
Common questions
What is a cabinet card?
A cabinet card is a Victorian-era portrait photograph — an albumen print mounted on a heavy card roughly 4¼ × 6½ inches. First offered in London in 1863 and arriving in American studios by 1866, cabinet cards were the standard portrait format from about 1880 through the early 1900s and continued in declining numbers into the 1920s.
How do I date a cabinet card?
Mount color and decoration are the best clues: pale buff or cream stock with a simple imprint is 1870s; dark gray or maroon with gold edges is mid-1880s; deep green, black, or chocolate brown with ornate gilt lettering is 1890s. Beveled edges with gold appear around 1885.
What are cabinet cards worth?
Generic studio portraits typically run $5–$20. Cards depicting identified subjects, occupational scenes, ethnographic subjects, post-mortem photography, or well-known photographers can range from $50 to several hundred dollars. Condition, sharpness of the print, and subject interest matter more than age.
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